Legend of Xiangjiang Tycoon

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The super rich in Xiangjiang are all occupied by real estate developers and other businessmen who also run real estate.

In any country and region in the world, this is the only case in Xiangjiang.

Social wealth is highly concentrated in one industry, which also appeared at the beginning of the opening of Xiangjiang Port, which is the fan stall.

Hampton, an economist from the Beautiful Country, pointed out after inspecting Xiangjiang: "Xiangjiang's economic miracle has benefited from the processing industry.

However, in terms of redistribution of social wealth, the real estate industry has benefited a lot.

This situation is a bit like worker bees supporting the queen bee. The cause of this deformed economic model is firstly the high land price policy of the Hong Kong government. "

In Xiangjiang's exclusive processing industry, having a net worth of more than 100 million is already a remarkable achievement; if the wealth exceeds 1 billion, it can only be considered an anomaly.

Everyone in Xiangjiang knows that the real estate industry has developed rapidly and become extremely rich. Even so, in Xiangjiang, any small business has people to do it, and the competition is fierce.

They may use this as a purpose; perhaps it is just a means, in order to dig the first pot of gold. In any case, there are always a lot of worker bees in the world.

The wig industry in Xiangjiang started in the late 1950s, which was also when the real estate industry was in the ascendant.

In the 1960s, the wig industry entered its heyday, and Xiangjiang became the capital of wigs in the world, and its export volume ranked first in the world.

On June 4, 1982, Xiangjiang TVB broadcast a character interview program. The protagonist of the program was the famous wig king Liu Wenhan in the 1960s.

At this time, the wig industry in Xiangjiang had long been silent. Liu Wenhan's appearance aroused people's memories of the past, and also aroused Liu Wenhan fever in the media circle.

Liu Wenhan is the originator of the Xiangjiang wig industry and a witness to its rise and fall.

A photo of Liu Wenhan is particularly eye-catching. He holds a wig in one hand and a wine bottle in the other. This photo shows two important stages of Liu Wenhan's life.

Liu Wenhan is an overseas Chinese from Australia, and now he has returned to Australia. His tortuous experience has aroused the interest of reporters. Huang Wenxiang, a senior reporter from Xiangjiang, wrote in an exclusive interview:

"Although it can be said that Liu Wenhan's fortune began in Xiangjiang, Xiangjiang was not his birthplace. Liu was born in Adelaide, which is the capital of South Australia.

He does not know what year he was born, but believes it was 1915. "

Liu Wenhan's father was from Taishan, Guangdong. At that time, the only way out for the poor seemed to be to seek gold overseas.

Australia was called New Gold Mountain at that time, and the hope of making a fortune was greater than that of San Francisco. Most of those who went overseas to Taishan went to Australia. Judging from the rise and fall of the overseas gold rush, Liu's father went to Australia around the end of the last century and the beginning of this century.

Father Liu boarded a ship from Xiangjiang to Melbourne, Australia. At that time, most of the Chinese laborers who went overseas set off from Xiangjiang.

The ship encountered a storm in Xingzhou and returned to Xiangjiang. Liu's father boarded another boat, and the boat quickly sailed past Luzon Island, and was blown back to Xiangjiang by the typhoon.

Liu Wenhan said: "It took him more than six months to reach Australia from Xiangjiang. When he entered the inland area and went to areas with gold mines, the gold rush there had already passed."

Liu's father's gold mining dream was shattered, and he could only make a living as a hawker in Adelaide.

Liu Wenhan was born, but Liu's father did not register his birth.

And because there are many brothers and sisters, when Liu Wenhan was sensible, his father could not remember exactly what year, month and day Liu Wenhan was born in.

The Liu family was well off, and Liu Wenhan was able to study in a school run by British expatriates.

When Liu Wenhan graduated from high school, his father said: "You have received enough Western education, now you should go back to the motherland to receive education and learn to be a Chinese."

Thus, Liu Wenhan became an overseas Chinese student in the Economics Department of Lingnan University in Yangcheng.

He didn't know authentic Cantonese, but fortunately there was a classmate from Taishan in the same dormitory. Liu Wenhan communicated with him in blunt Taishan dialect, and gradually became proficient in Cantonese. The classmate, surnamed Wu, is now the owner of the Xiangjiang Maxim fast food restaurant, and the two have been in close contact for decades.

After graduating, Liu Wenhan came to Xiangjiang to do business as a salesman of automobiles and auto parts, with business in Hong Kong, Macau and South China.

When the Pacific War broke out and Xiangjiang fell, Liu Wenhan left Xiangjiang for Macau with his wife, son and others by Star Ferry.

At that time, in order to reduce the burden of supply, Xiaobenzi allowed Hong Kong residents to take the Star Ferry to Macau, but they had to pay 60 Hong Kong dollars per person.

At that time, the monthly salary of a shop assistant was only five or six Hong Kong dollars, and the exit fee of sixty Hong Kong dollars was really expensive.

So at that time, those who could take refuge in Macau in the "right way" were rich people.

Liu Wenhan is a student-born businessman. This type of businessman is often more enthusiastic than the businessman who grew up in a shop.

In the face of national crisis, Macau is relatively safe, and Liu Wenhan feels that it is a shame to stay in Macau.

Regardless of his wife's opposition, he resolutely went north to devote himself.

After the war, Liu Wenhan worked as an announcer at Yangcheng Radio Station for a while, and then returned to Xiangjiang.

The savings left before the war have been paid off to Xin, and Liu Wenhan has to start from scratch again in his career.

Liu Wenhan returned to his old business, and his business was booming day by day.

When the Korean War broke out, Liu Wenhan sold auto parts to the north through Macau.

After the Korean War ended, this kind of business naturally stopped. However, Liu Wenhan's family background is quite solid.

Xiangjiang has a narrow site with limited roads and restricted vehicle growth.

There are quite a few trading houses in Heung Kong that distribute automobiles and spare parts, and the competition is fierce.

Therefore, Liu Wenhan's business has not improved for several years.

In 1958, Liu Wenhan visited the United States. In Cleveland, Liu Wenhan invited an auto parts dealer with business contacts to meet at a restaurant.

He came with another beautiful country businessman who was engaged in the import and export of daily necessities.

During the dinner, Liu Wenhan lamented that it was difficult to do business in Heung Kong Motors. The purpose of his coming to the United States was to seek new business avenues.

At this time, the newly-acquainted American merchant only said one word: "Wigs" (wigs).

Liu Wenhan didn't know what a wig was, and asked suspiciously: "Wigs?" Meishang repeated:

"Wigs."

Meishang took out a black wig from his bag and told him that the wig was actually real hair.

But it must be processed. At present, wigs are selling well in the beautiful country market.

He also said that he has collected thirteen wigs of different colors and plans to start this business.

Now the world's major wig makers are in France, with more blonde hair and less black hair.

East Asians are all black-haired, and making wigs in Xiangjiang has a huge advantage in geography.

Under the guidance of this American businessman, Liu Wenhan visited a wig factory in the beautiful country. He also learned that most of the people who bought wigs in the past were bald people and entertainers (for performance props).

After the war, a group of trendy young people appeared in the beautiful country. They were cynical and pursued weirdness, and wigs gradually became popular.

Liu Wenhan didn't pay attention at the beginning, but after being "pointed out" by the American businessman, he found many young people wearing wigs on the street.

In San Francisco, young people wearing wigs abound, and many young men parade through the streets wearing women's long hair.

San Francisco is the birthplace of the hippie movement. This group of young people is called the "beat generation" by the older generation.

With the sensitivity of a businessman, Liu Wenhan realized that the wig industry has a bright future.

In the 1960s, the hippie movement flourished and spread to the world, and Xiangjiang's wig industry also entered its heyday.

Liu Wenhan hurried back to Xiangjiang, ready to do a big job. However, there are no wigs for sale in the Xiangjiang market, which means that Xiangjiang does not have a wig factory or a wig talent.

For Liu Wenhan, it is both beneficial and unfavorable.

By chance, Liu Wenhan learned that there was a wig maker in Yau Ma Tei who made wigs and beards for Cantonese opera actors, but he didn't know which street or alley it was in.

Liu Wenhan immediately crossed the sea to Kowloon, scurrying around the streets and alleys of Yau Ma Tei, no one knew

such a person. Liu Wenhan ran for 3 days, but found nothing, and even searched the periphery of Yau Ma Tei.

After a sudden thought, he felt that he should go to the opera club to inquire about Cantonese opera actors, so he hurried back.

Liu Wenhan was meeting a woman who was taking out the trash. At that time, it was not popular in Xiangjiang to use plastic bags for garbage, but to use old-fashioned buckets.

The woman's bucket was full of hair, Liu Wenhan had an idea, it must not be a wig workshop, right? Go up and inquire, and it really is!

Liu Wenhan followed the woman into a back alley, and finally saw the only wig master in Xiangjiang. This master led two female workers to make fake buns meticulously.

Liu Wenhan originally thought he would be overjoyed, but the wig master was stunned: "Are you crazy?"

He said in a preaching tone: "Do you think that making a wig is as fast as shaving your head? It takes three months to make a wig! Do you understand?"

It seems that the hope of being a wig dealer will be lost, and only a manufacturer will be left.

Liu Wenhan visited the wig workshop again, carefully observed their production process, and found that there are many things that can be improved.

If the modern production method of the United States is adopted, a lot of labor can be saved, and the work efficiency will be greatly improved. However, Xiangjiang's labor service is cheap, and the best economic benefits can be obtained by using half-mechanical and half-manual methods.

Liu Wenhan asked the wig master to give him a female worker, "I want to make her a wig technician with modern production methods."

When Liu Wenhan talked about his idea, the wig master thought it was a fantasy, but he still gave Liu Wenhan his blessing and asked him to choose one of the young, educated female workers.

Liu Wenhan quickly purchased a wig-making machine from abroad, and worked with the female worker to study and improve the production method.

Three months later, Liu Wenhan rented a place in the Shanzhai factory, showed the sign of the wig factory, and the number of female workers increased to thirty, and they all quickly mastered the new production method.

Because Liu Wenhan did not become a wig dealer, he contacted the beautiful Chinese businessman.

The beautiful country is known as a nation on horseback, and it is extremely mobile. It is only a verbal agreement, and neither party has to bear any responsibility.

Liu Wenhan is optimistic about the sales of wigs, but there is a factory stumbled, and it is impossible for him to go to the beautiful country to sell them.

Products are being produced continuously. Liu Wenhan came to the headquarters of Lane Crawford with wig samples of various hairstyles.

Lane Crawford is the largest and oldest department store in Hong Kong, also engaged in import and export trade.

Liu Wenhan walked into the office of the Ministry of Trade, took out the samples and spread them on the table. Several staff members in the office immediately gathered around to look at it, and the manager asked, "Where did all this come from?"

"Xiangjiang." Liu Wenhan replied succinctly.

"No, absolutely impossible." The manager said, "A wig of such high quality can only be made in France, and it must be a European product. As far as I know, there is no wig factory in Xiangjiang, let alone the talents who make wigs."

"I am." Liu Wenhan said confidently and proudly, introducing him to his wig factory and talking about his adventures in the United States to "get inspiration".

The manager was very satisfied with Liu Wenhan's wig products, and immediately signed the contract, ordering 100 wigs per month, each at HK$500.

This price is two-thirds lower than the price of French products, and the cost of Liu Wenhan's production of wigs is only more than one hundred Hong Kong dollars each, and the profit is as high as three times!

Liu Wenhan said with a smile in an interview with the media: "From then on, our production took off, and thousands of orders came like snowflakes. Within a year, there were 300 wig factories in Xiangjiang, employing workers Thousands of people. Almost overnight, Xiangjiang became the capital of wig manufacturing in the world. At this time, the wig fever in Hong Kong is like the gold rush in the beautiful country.”

Liu Wenhan was elected as the chairman of the Xiangjiang Wig Manufacturers Association and won the honorary title of the father of Xiangjiang Wigs.

Liu Wenhan won this honor not only because he is the originator of the Xiangjiang wig industry, but also because he spared no effort for the vigorous development of the Xiangjiang wig industry regardless of personal interests.

Usually, emerging industries are very conservative about technology, but Liu Wenhan allows businessmen who want to join this industry to visit his wig factory freely, and discloses to them the way to purchase wig raw materials (real hair) and wig manufacturing machines. Liu Wenhan did not fail to accept colleagues from the same industry for internships.

Some people say that Liu Wenhan is not like a businessman, but like a high-spirited philanthropist. After hearing this, Liu Wenhan smiled dumbly: "I am a profit-seeking businessman. They come to practice and do the work for me, and I don't have to pay. Making wigs is not like building satellites." , They can’t learn anything from me, so they will go to other channels, even if they take a detour, they can get through. Xiangjiang’s wig industry is prosperous, which is good for everyone.”

Wig raw materials originally came from Indonesia and India. Later, channels for importing raw materials from the Mainland were opened up.

At that time, women in the mainland generally wore long braids, and they only cost a few yuan to buy one.

Xiangjiang has specialized raw material dealers who import wig raw materials from the mainland and sell them at high prices in Xiangjiang.

Compared with the price of a finished wig, "high-priced raw materials" are actually very cheap.

Liu Wenhan went to the United States as the chairman of the Xiangjiang Trade Association to negotiate in the United States to remove obstacles to the import of Xiangjiang wigs into the beautiful country.

In the mid-1960s, Liu Wenhan mainly focused on trade associations and wig export agents.

Liu won the title of father of the wig trade in Xiangjiang.

In the 1960s, the hippie movement was surging and swept the world. Xiangjiang wigs then became popular all over the world, and also earned a lot of foreign currency for Xiangjiang.

The moon waxes and wanes, and the tide rises and falls. Social phenomena, like the laws of nature, always have their ups and downs.

On the one hand, wigs are popular among the new generation in Europe and the United States, just like fashion, once popularized, it will not become fashion.

The new generation's interest in wigs gradually faded, and the magnificent hippie movement began to step into the end at the end of the 1960s, and traditional values ​​were respected again.

On the other hand, the wig industry in Hong Kong is still developing rapidly. Hong Kong and Kowloon wig factories are blooming everywhere. The wax figures and plastic models in the window of shopping malls are all wearing wigs of various colors and shapes, giving people a sense of prosperity.

Liu Wenhan expressed his worries about the Xiangjiang wig industry in the trade association. At the same time, he no longer expands the production scale, and only signs short-term consignment contracts.

In the same industry, there are quite a few "foresight" people like him, but most of them are still dazed by fake fever.

On September 22, 1975, there was a retrospective article in Hong Kong Newspapers——"Talking about the Wig Industry", which stated:

"Among the various manufacturing industries in Hong Kong, I believe that no industry can compare with the wig manufacturing industry in terms of the speed of repeated changes. The wig industry was only in its infancy 10 years ago, and it was only insignificant in the manufacturing industry in Hong Kong. However, in just a few years, the wig industry developed at an unbelievable pace and reached its peak in just a few years. In 1970, the export of wigs in Hong Kong reached several billion yuan, and the products made in Hong Kong It has jumped to the fourth place in the output. But it is a pity that the golden age of the wig industry is only a flash in the pan. When it is prosperous, it develops by leaps and bounds, which is unparalleled;

"At present, the wig industry has returned to its original shape 10 years ago, but one fundamental difference is that 10 years ago it was a nascent industry, rising like the sun and full of vitality; but today it is already sunset and dying."

At this time, Liu Wenhan, the originator of the Xiangjiang wig industry, had already closed the mountain.

And many wig factories have closed down one after another, and those who entered the industry late suffered heavy losses.

Liu Wenhan ran the jewelry business for a period of time, and then returned to his birthplace of Australia to develop.

How much money did Liu Wenhan make in the wig industry? Liu kept it secret.

According to the Australian overseas Chinese in Xiangjiang, Liu Wenhan and his son Roland bought a large vineyard in the McLaren Val area~www.NovelMTL.com~ and then bought a local winery, which was equivalent to 20 million Hong Kong dollars. funds.

Liu Wenhan said proudly: "As far as I know, I am the only Chinese in the (Western) world who owns a vineyard and a winery."

Wigs are in full bloom, but the scenery is no longer. In the 1990s, wigs, which had been silent for more than 10 years, quietly emerged in Xiangjiang.

Jinbaodao (Xiangjiang) Industrial Co., Ltd. has been in the hair wig business for several years. The sales are promising and the profits are quite high. The price of each wig ranges from hundreds to thousands of Hong Kong dollars, and the premium ones cost tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars.

The wig industry in the new era is different from the mass production in the 1960s. A considerable part of it is customized by a single customer, such as a wig for bald heads. miraculous effect.

In addition to local artistes, bald people, and those with thinning hair, customers also come from overseas.

The wig scored twice, which fully demonstrates the ethos of Xiangjiang people not to lose big money and not to lose small money in business.

It can be said that Xiangjiang is full of gold, and the real estate industry is undoubtedly the biggest gold. Of course, there are others, but they cannot be compared with it. However, many Xiangjiang people start their careers first, then transfer to the real estate industry, and finally become the top richest man.